Dixie State responded to Friday's sweep by Azusa Pacific with an 8-5 comeback win on Saturday afternoon.

Each team won two in the critical four-game set as the squads competed for position in the regional rankings. Azusa Pacific entered the game ranked second in the NCAA Division II West Region rankings while Dixie State, the PacWest Conference leader, sported a ranking of six. The next set of rankings will be published on April 29 with the final rankings revealed during the NCAA selection show on May 10. The top six teams in the region will qualify for the NCAA regional championships. 

Prior to the game the Cougars recognized eight student-athletes – Jordan Brower, Jacob Cage Josh Grajeda, Blake James, Luis Martinez, Christopher Tyler Neal, Ryan Santana and Jonathan Velasco - who are playing their final season with the program. 

In Saturday's win the top two hitters in the Dixie State line-up provided a significant spark. Tanner Morache scored twice and drove home three runs while second-place hitter Drew McLaughlin cross the plate twice.

Daniel Martin was solid once again for the home team. The junior reached base in all but one of his four plate appearances where he scored twice and had three RBIs.

The Cougars got the scoring going with a four-run second inning. After walks to Adrian Tovalin and Joe Huthsing, Brian Magana reach on an infield error which scored Tovalin. Two batters later Martin crushed the first pitch his saw high into the netting above the left field fence to stake the home squad to a 4-0 lead after two innings.

That lead was short lived as Dixie State tied the score in the third inning. Zach Watts struck out to start the frame but reached because of a pass ball third strike. Morache hit his second homerun of the series on 2-1 pitch from Azusa Pacific (29-17, 19-13 PacWest) starting pitcher Wyatt Wood as they trimmed their deficit to 4-2. McLaughlin then singled to centerfield then scored two batters later on a wild pitch. The visitors tied the score in the frame on a Yuto Kata RBI single with two-outs.

The score remain knotted at 4-4 until Dixie State (29-15, 22-6 took the lead with a two-run sixth inning. Kata hit an RBI double which scored Kamachi. Kata scored later in the frame on a sacrifice fly when Morache lifted a fly ball to left field. 

Dixie State starting pitcher Porter Clayton settled down in the middle innings. Aside from the second inning, the left hander allowed just one hit before getting pulled from the game after six innings of work. He walked seven and struck out four in his 112-pitch outing as he upped his record to 5-4.

Azusa Pacific got a run back in the seventh off the Red Storm bullpen when Blake James hit a two-out single to left centerfield which scored Martin.

The score remained 6-5 Dixie State until the ninth inning when the visitors put some breathing room between them and the home team with a pair of runs without a hit. The Red Storm scored their first run on a fielder's choice as Morache beat the throw home by James on the pulled-in infield. Their final run of the contest came on attempted double play by the Cougars infield. After getting the lead runner on the groundout for the second out, Kamachi beat out the throw at first base as McLaughlin scored.

Trailing 8-5 heading into the last at-bat, the Cougars were held in-check as Evan Parker worked a 1-2-3 frame to earn his 11th save of the season. 

The Cougars final series of the regular season begins on Wednesday as they host Fresno Pacific for four games in three days.